Commodity safety appliance and bad order tag



p 1935- A. H. SCARLETT 7 2,014,987

COMMODITY SAFETY APPLIANCE AND BAD ORDER TAG Filed July 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 1 nventor uZ1Z6'carZeE' Gttorneg.

Sept. 17, 1935;

COMMODITY SAFETY APPLIANCE AND BAD ORDER TAG A. H. SCARLETT' 2,14,

Filed July 5,- 1934 2 Sheets -Shet 14.5": Flow um o o I3nnentor 15.5: ScarZZZ 7* mmmm Patented Sept. 17, 1935 umrso stares COMMODITY SAFETY APPLIANCE AND BAD ORDER TAG Adam H. Scarlett, Jacksonville, Fla., assignor of one-fourth to Gleonard A. Lord, Jacksonville,

Fla.

Application July 5, 1934, Serial No. 733,873

3 Claims.

This invention relates to safety appliance and bad order tags, and has for an important object thereof the provision of a means which will facilitate the handling of cars of various types.

Another object of this invention is to provide an indicating means which can be mounted on the side of a railway car, and which can be changed by an inspector or other trainman, whereby it will be unnecessary for the members of the train-crew to closely scrutinize the tags to determine the character of merchandise or other matter to be placed in the car.

A further object of this invention is to provide a car condition indicating means which will not be afiected by Weather conditions so that the report of the car inspector as to the condition of the car and its .ability to carry predetermined products will not be obliterated and is readily discernible at a distance from the car.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a means of this character which'will speed up the time consumed in breaking up or reclassifying trains by the display of a clear indicating means which is unaffected by weather conditions and which may be used'for an indefinite period.

t A further object of this invention is to provide a means of this character which will eliminate the use of the present type of cardboard indicators which must be tacked on the side of the car by theinspector and which are subject to weather conditions and to being torn off.

The above and various other objects and advantages of .this invention will in part be un derstood from and in part described in the ac- 1 applied position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective iew of one side of the changeable tag.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the opposite side of the changeable tag showing the different color combinations.

Fig. 5 is a detailed side elevation of the tag holder, partly broken away and in section, and showing one indicating means carried by the tag through the window of the holder.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the report card which is placed in a pocket or case 10" provided in the device.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral IE designates generally a railway car of any suitable type which may be either a box car, gondola or open type of car, orany other type of car, and it is to be understood that the type of car here shown is only one of the several types of cars on which the commodity safety appliance and bad order tag may be used.

In order to eliminate the use of cardboard tags which are tacked on the side of the car or chalk marks placed on the side of the car, I have provided a placed holder comprising a base plate H of suitable size which is constructed out of a sheet of metal and provided with holes at desired points to receive securing means 13 in the form of screws or the like so that the plate ll may be permanently attached to a side of the car body Ill.

A boxing l2 comprising a front wall 14, side walls 15, and a perforated bottom wall i6 is secured to the front side of the base plate I I. This boxing i2 is open at the top, and at the desired point in the front wall N there is provided a window I l of suitable configuration, and in the present instance this window E1 is placed in the upper left quarter of the boxing, the front Wall of which is substantially square. The front wall M has a 40 finger slot l8 in substantially the center of the upper edge thereof, and a similar slot I9 is provided in the base plate H in substantial alinement with the slot l8. Preferably the side of the car body also has a recess 20 in which a finger may be projected so as to facilitate the withdrawal of a car condition indicating tag, generally indicated as 2! and which is shown "in Figs. 3 and 4.

This tag 28 is constructed of a flat piece of metal preferably square in plan and is adapted to loosely engage in the boxing or pocket l2 with a portion thereof exposed through the window ll of the pocket 82. The tag 2| on one face thereof is divided into four sections designated 22, 23, 24,

and 25. The section 22 of the tag 2| is preferably colored black, as with black paint or enamel, and the opposite section 23 is also of the same color, while the other sections 24 and 25 are preferably colored red. The black section 22 has the letter L in substantially the center thereof to indicate a loaded car, whereas the black section 23 has the letter E in substantially the center thereof to indicate an empty car. The color red used in the block sections 24 and 25 of the tag 2! indicate a. defect in a safety appliance on the car, so that a trainman not closely adjacent the car can tell at a glance what condition the car is in as to appliances and as to whether the car is loaded or empty.

The black tag section 22 has the letter L in substantially the center thereof, and the tag section 23 has the letter E in substantially the cen ter thereof, so that any one of the letters E or L may be exposed through the window I! by taking the tag 2| out of the pocket or box l2 and turning it so that the desired indicia will be exposed through the window.

The opposite side or face of the tag 2| is also divided into quarters, one of which is colored a relatively bright color, such as green and indicated at 26. An adjacent quarter may be colored a different and also a bright color, such as yellow, and indicated at 27. A third quarter section may be colored a still different color, such as white which is indicated at 28, whereas the remaining quarter section of this face of the tag 2| may have a combination of colors, such as green and white and indicated at 29. Any one of these quarter sections on the opposite side of the tag 2| may be exposed through the window H.

In order that the trainman may know the meaning of the different colors or indicia exposed through the window H, the base plate may be provided with an indicating chart 36, which may be printed or otherwise impressed on the base opposite the boxing or pocket l2.

A second pocket or boxing 3| is also mounted on thebase l beside the boxing |2, and this boxing 3| comprises a front wall 32, a top wall 33, an inner end wall 34, and a perforated bottom wall 35, to drain the pockets I2 and 3|, Whereas the outer side of the pocket 3| is open to receive an inspectors report card 36. The report card 36 has the desired indicia thereon, on one or both sides thereof, and in the present instance this card 36 is constructed out of cardboard. The card 36 is releasably held in the pocket 3| by means of a detent 31 which projects into a slot 38 provided in the outer edge of the front wall 32 so as to slightly bend the card 36 when it is placed in the pocket 3| and to thereby prevent the card 36 from readily slipping out of the pocket 3|.

In the use of the device hereinbefore described, when the inspector looks over the car ID, he will remove the tag 2| from the pocket l2, and if the car is already loaded and there are certain defects in the car body which do not affect the safety appliances, he will turn the tag 2| so as to expose the section 22 which has a black face and is provided with the letter L. Should the car be empty and have these same defects, the tag 2| will be turned to expose the section 23, which is black, and which has the letter E thereon. However, should there be a defect in the safety appliance or appliances the red portions of the tag 2| will be exposed.

In the event the car is suitable for loading, the loading side of the tag 2| will be exposed through the window I and the desired section thereof exposed as determined by the chart 30. The inspector, after going over the car to observe the condition thereof, will then make out his report on the card 36 and insert the card in the pocket or case 3|.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the car inspector will not be required to carry on his person a considerable quantity of cards in addition to tacks and a hammer or other tool to apply the cards, which at present are constructed out of cardboard and are liable to be torn off from the car, obliterated or otherwise rendered useless. The indicating means herein disclosed will last for a considerable period of time, thereby efi'ecting a saving of material to the railroad, and in addition thereto there will be a very considerable saving of time of the trainmen in the handling of the cars.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the invention, such changes and modifications being limited only by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A device as set forth comprising a base plate, a pocket member open at the top thereof mounted on the plate, said pocket member 113V,- ing a window opening in the front wall thereof and also having a plurality of drain openings in the bottom thereof, said base plate extending beyond the marginal portions of the pocket to define an attaching flange, said base plate and said pocket at the open end thereof having registering finger openings, a. tag member insertable in the pocket and provided with car condition indications on a face thereof for exposure of a selected one of said indications through said window, and indicia on said base plate designating said indications on said tag member.

2. A device as set forth comprising a base plate. a pocket member open at the top thereof mounted on the plate, said pocket member having a window opening in the front wall thereof and also having a plurality of drain openings in the bottom thereof, said base plate extending beyond the marginal portions of the pocket to define an attaching flange, said base plate and said pocket at the open end thereof having registering finger openings, 2. tag member insertable in the pocket, said tag member having a face thereof divided into quarters and each quarter having a predetermined color indication.

3. A device as set forth comprising a base plate, a pocket member open at the top thereof mounted on the plate, said pocket member having a window opening in the front wall thereof and adjacent one corner and also having a plurality of drain openings in the bottom thereof, said base plate extending beyond the marginal portions of the pocket to define an attaching flange, said base plate and said pocket at the open end thereof having registering finger openings, a tag member insertable in the pocket, said tag member having each face thereof divided into quarters and each quarter having a predetermined color indication, and indicia on the color indications on at least one face of the tag member.

ADAM H. SCARLE'I'I. 

